Rank Tracking on a Budget

Here's the deal: I'm building Telepath, my remote job board. Traffic's going up, and I'm trying to figure out what keywords are working and how visible we are on search engines.

So, I started checking out SEO tools. Turns out, a lot of them are either garbage or way too expensive for a small company. And those "free" tools? Half the time, they're outdated. Like, the blog post says they were free in 2021, but they're not anymore. Or the "free tier" is so limited it's basically a demo with a timer.

But I found some tools that are okay to use.

The "Free" Rank Tracking Tools

Semrush

Their free plan lets you track 10 keywords for one website. Sounds okay, right? Nope. It's limited to one language, one location, and one device type. So, yeah, not that great.

I've been using Semrush's free plan for a while now. But their cheapest paid plan is $117 a month, which is way more than I want to spend right now, especially since I wouldn't even use all the features.

Mangools

Similar deal. You can track 5 keywords, but you've got the same restrictions as Semrush – location, language, device.

Basically, these are fine if you're tracking keywords for something super small. But for anything real? Forget it. Everything else I found was either free with a million limitations, a free trial with a ticking clock, or just plain useless.

After realizing I'd get more actionable insights by blindfolding myself and guessing keywords than relying on most of these tools, I pivoted to Plan B: hacking together free tools in unconventional ways.

Plan B: DIY Rank Tracking (with duct tapes)

Google Search Console + Looker Studio

This is the peanut butter and jelly of free SEO. Google Search Console tells you what keywords are bringing in traffic and your average position. It doesn't track the specific keywords you want, but it shows you the actual search queries people are using.

Then, you plug it into Looker Studio, and boom – you've got charts, filters, trends, all for free. It's not perfect rank tracking, but it tells you what Google thinks you're ranking for, which is arguably more important. And, of course, it's free, unlimited keywords.

The downside? It takes time to set up and keep updated. But if you’ve got the time, it’s worth it.

SerpBear (Self-hosted, open-source)

This one's for the techy people. SerpBear is an open-source rank tracker that you host yourself. No limits on keywords. No credit system. No BS usage caps.

The catch? You have to set it up, maintain it, and fix it if it breaks. But if you know your way around a VPS, it's the best value I've found, hands down.

Final Thoughts

For most people, Google Search Console and Looker Studio will get the job done. If you're tech-savvy or have someone who can handle the setup, SerpBear is a solid option. Whether you're bootstrapping or on a budget, give these tools a try.